Patrick Stewart has broken his silence on the future of Philippe Clement and the ongoing review into Rangers’ internal operations.
The former Manchester United executive has been hard at work in the background of Rangers but pressure has been building over radio silence in the wake of the disastrous Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Queen’s Park.
Patrick Stewart has been speaking to Rangers about the situation at Ibrox and has provided an update on the status of Philippe Clement.
The Rangers CEO has also revealed that the ongoing Sportsology review has already identified a ‘significant action’ that has to be taken at Ibrox.
Internal Rangers review ‘progressing well’
Addressing the international root and branch review of Rangers, Patrick Stewart insists the process is ‘progressing well’.
Rangers have recruited the help of a leading New York sports business firm to get under the bonnet of the club’s recent shortcomings.
Stewart insists the process has already started reaping rewards.
”The review is progressing well,” said Stewart.
”We have got a lot of insights into things that are going well and not well at Auchenhowie.
”I would really complement this staff and how open and honest they’ve been.
”They’ve provided really valuable feedback to myself and also the consultants we’ve got on supporting with it.
”And we’re beginning to get some real tangible insights that are flowing into real recommendations that we’re starting to action.”
Rangers on hunt for new sporting director
With that in mind, Patrick Stewart has confirmed that Rangers are on the hunt for a new sporting director.
It’s about getting the right person to head up Rangers’ footballing operations with the club’s lack of executive leadership in this department raising a red flag.
Stewart describes the hunt for a new sporting director as the ‘most significant action’ which has arisen from the review.
“The most significant action that has arisen from this is that we’ve identified the need to appoint somebody that has got responsibility for the entire football operations throughout the club,” explained Stewart.
“So we are now in the market for a sporting director and that role will put somebody right at the top of the football tree.
”An experienced football person at the top of the tree that will be responsible for all aspects of the football club.
”To make sure that they’re working together towards fulfilling a holistic joined up plan.
”That’s something that we’re in the market now for a sporting director.”
Why are Rangers returning to sporting director model?
Rangers previously used the sporting director model under Ross Wilson, who jumped ship for Nottingham Forest in April 2023.
Wilson’s January 2022 and summer 2022 transfer windows had heaped pressure on the director as Rangers let slip the title.
Wilson was the subject of controversial protests from supporters alongside managing director Stewart Robertson and chairman Douglas Park.
The Gers then blundered through the following transfer window, John Bennett instead installing a ‘recruitment board’ involving several key members of the Ibrox club.
Michael Beale then oversaw the club’s recruitment the following summer, something the manager claims had a damning impact on his tenure, and Stewart was asked why Rangers are now returning to the model.
For Patrick Stewart it’s simple, if Rangers want to be an elite European football club, then they better start acting like it.
”So if you look elite European football clubs most of them will have a single person that is responsible for the entirety of the football operations,” said Stewart.
”We’re something of an outlier not having that at the moment, so that’s why we’re going to that model.”
What does sporting director mean for Nils Koppen?
The pursuit of a new sporting director has also brought into question the role of Nils Koppen at Rangers.
Koppen was signed as a director of recruitment in January last year and was promoted to a technical director role following a summer reshuffle.
Patrick Stewart has paid tribute to Nils Koppen and insists the new sporting director will ‘complement’ the Belgian’s pre-existing role.
”Nils’ role, he was brought in to do player recruitment,” explains Stewart.
”And when there were some senior departures in the football area Nils stepped up and brought some stability and also some leadership in that, so I’m really grateful to him for doing that.
”Also Nils has performed really strongly in player recruitment. I think the results of that we can see with some of the players we’ve got in the squad at the moment that have been brought in under his watch.
”So Nils is somebody I rate really highly but the sporting director will compliment his role because it will allow him to focus on what he was hired to do.
”Which is recruit players, in a wider context also manage squad planning and also the player trading model that’s been often referred to.
”This will give him some breathing space to do this and it will really complement and give him the ability to do that.”
What’s the difference between sporting director & technical director?
The question then is, what is the difference between a technical director and a sporting director?
As Patrick Stewart explains, Nils Koppen will be focused primarily on recruitment, squad management and player trading.
The sporting director will take an overarching responsibility for everything which happens in the club’s operations, from recruitment to Auchenhowie.
“That’s a fair question as I think sometimes the terms are used interchangeably,” said Stewart.
”Whereas what the structure we’ll be putting in place will be creating two really distinct roles.
”Sporting director is responsible for the entire football operations; men’s, women, academy, medical and performance, recruitment, the whole gamut.
”Nils as technical director is responsible for squad planning. So making sure that our first team squads for men’s and women’s teams are in the right place.
”And that means that he’s looking at player recruitment, particular focus on player recruitment, from all the age groups through, making sure we’ve got a good pipeline coming in from the academy into the first team, but also where we don’t have that pipeline we’re recruiting externally.
”But critically also making sure that we’re selling players at the right time because that’s critical to the player trading model.
”So he’s very much focused on part of the football operations whereas a sporting director has got the whole gamut and is very much focused on the football strategy and it’s wider context.”
When can Rangers expect new sporting director’s arrival?
Patrick Stewart has already explained that securing the services of a new sporting director is of paramount importance.
But the Rangers CEO is not interested in getting a quick fix option into Ibrox who is not right for the club.
Stewart explains that it’s about getting the ‘best solution’ for Rangers but that whilst the recruitment process goes on, changes will continue apace.
”So I’m not going to put a set timeline on it,” explains Stewart.
“Because this is about getting the right person who is going to be the best solution for Rangers in the long-term.
”And that means we will, if necessary, wait to get the best candidate and not just jump to the one that’s available at the earliest opportunity.
”But that said, it’s really important that we continue with progress while we’re waiting for the right candidate to start.
”So we’re going to make sure that the sporting director recruitment process dovetails with the review so that we don’t need to undo anything that we are currently putting in place at the moment and progress can be continue to be made in the meantime.”
